Angola has taken yet another turn towards totalitarianism. This week a ‘historic’ vote took place in the capital Luanda, one that will surely divide the nation in similar fashion to the way in which the civil war (1975-2002) did with similarly disastrous effects. President Jose Eduardo Dos Santos, who has ruled Angola for over three decades, and, subsequently making him Africa’s second longest serving leader, took striding steps to cement his position at the summit of Angolan politics.

The vote was fundamental to the future of oil rich Angola – Africa’s largest exporter of oil. Firstly, using democracy as an excuse, the constitution will state that a President can only serve two five year terms starting from 2012. However, Dos Santos has ensured that come 2012 he will be allowed to serve a further two terms in office, effectively securing his position as the head of state till 2022, extending his leadership to a potential 43 years. Secondly, furthering his grip on power Dos Santos has also secured the removal of the office of Prime Minister allowing him to appoint his own deputy. 

Dos Santos, ever the pragmatist has used the publicity around Angola’s holding of the African Cup of Nations to rush through a piece of dramatic legislation. The amendment to the constitution was meant to be voted on in March, instead members of the MPLA tabled the legislation at the last minute on Thursday. Nonetheless the vote passed with 186 votes out of a possible 220. This would seem convincing if it were not for the fact that only members of Dos Santos’s own party voted as members of the opposition - UNITA –boycotted the vote. Mathematics would tell us the even if the vote had been fully attended and all MP’s voted along party lines the vote would still have passed.

On the one hand Angolan analysts have touted that the amendment to the constitution will guarantee freedom of the media and outlaw torture and the death penalty. However, on the other hand members of UNITA dispute these allegations and instead state that ‘by abolishing the presidential ballot and concentrating all the power on the president it will do exactly the opposite.’ Dos Santos’ move is shiveringly reminiscent of the consolidation tactics Zimbabwe’s Mugabe, Uzbekistan’s Karimov, Venezuela’s Chavez and Belarus’s Lukashenko where erosions of constitutional freedoms have been passed behind closed doors. Dos Santos has seized opportunities to further his own political objectives using democracy as a thin veil.

In all such cases, measures which promise to ‘consolidate’ democracy in actual fact strengthen the hold of the executive and undermine the ability of parliament to hold key decision-makers to account.